The Quest

Edit: this is one of my top looked at posts and is from 2 years ago! A lot has changed in the world of running tanks so I would like to direct you to this post which has a more updated shopping resource. Enjoy!

I read quite a few blogs. A lot in fact. They all have to do with healthy living and fitness so I’m constantly ogling their fabulous workout gear. Growing up my family didn’t buy a different item for every single thing we did. I was taught to use the same thing for multiple applications. For example, a blender can be both a blender and a food processor even though a food processor might be better for its intended uses. So when it came to workout gear, I always believed that there wasn’t a difference between all of the items out there. I never saw a need to have clothes specific to the different kinds of sweating I’d be doing.

As a dancer I had a few different leotards, tights, and the proper shoes. And that’s all a dancer needs. When I started running I just wore regular tank tops and yoga capris (both from Old Navy) and occasionally a tshirt (I hate tshirts so that’s rare). Then as the weather got colder I realized I was going to need some clothes to keep me warm on my runs. I don’t have many slubbing kind of clothes and I realized I didn’t have any long pants to wear outside. So off I went to Target where I treated myself and bought one pair of long running pants. And then I started to browse. I saw a running tank and long sleeve pull over on sale. Both were marketed as being layerables to wear outside in the cold weather. Hmm. My materialistic mind started glowing. I grabbed them both and my life was changed. After wearing them a few times (I’d run, come home, throw them in the washer, hang them to dry, and they’d be ready for the next day… I existed on one set of clothes for quite a while) I quickly realized that the proper clothes make a huge difference. Let’s get gross for a minute.

I sweat. Big time. Sometimes I even sweat in the shower. It’s a family trait. So when I wiggle just a little bit, the sweat pours off of me and I hate it. I feel gross which quickly makes me want to stop whatever activity I’m doing and I quit too soon. But these new clothes. They’re magical. The sweat doesn’t sit on my skin as long and the clothes don’t hang on me from being sweaty. I went off and bought another pair of pants, tank, and a long sleeve shirt. Now I had two sets of running clothes. And then the weather got warm.

I transitioned back to the yoga capris and wear a regular tank top over the running tanks. The layering is because of my gut. I don’t like it hanging out and because I’m tall, the running tanks tend to be just a tad too shirt on me. So I layer and I’m okay with that. But I’d like to not have to. I’d like to have a tank that’s a little looser in the stomach but provides the same benefits a tighter tank does.

And now we return to the ogling the bloggers. Daily Garnish posts lots of pre and post workout pictures and she always has the cutest loose tanks. Of course, our size differences have to be taken into account and that things are probably loose on her that are tight on me, but I want those tanks. To see what I’m talking about, click here. And as I was perusing the comments on that post I noticed that I am not the only one that wants her tanks! Emily answered a comment saying she bought it at Target so I went straight to Target.com where I found the tank but only in an XS 😦 Being 5’8 pretty much rules out being able to wear XS… that and the weight. However, if you are an XS…